ISWAN

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Working on board can present seafarers with factors that may make it difficult to remain adequately hydrated, like physically demanding job roles, working in very hot environments, and distrust of water on board because of taste or appearance. Dehydration can have a negative impact on a seafarer’s health and can cause or worsen certain diseases. It can also impact a seafarer’s ability to be productive at work.

ISWAN published its latest issue of Training on Board. This issue provides guidance to assist seafarers get the most out of their workout. ISWAN makes recommendations to perform the best warm-up, as well as advice to boost the metabolism. ISWAN recommends a light warm-up, that seafarers can do prior to any exercise routine.

Chirag Bahri, who today is ISWAN’s Regional Director, India and South Asia, was held captive by pirates in Somalian waters from May to December 2010, along with 21 fellow crewmembers of the chemical tanker, Marida Marguerite.

ISWAN announced that it is offering a new training course to provide management-level personnel on shore and on board ships with an introduction to mental health awareness. The course is also suitable for anyone who wants to gain a better understanding of mental health at sea and how to support crew.

In 2018, ISWAN launched a campaign to alert the shipping industry on the issue of unregistered crewing agencies in India; Now, the Network presents the campaign’s results and what follows next. Yet, up to now, there are many unregistered crewing agencies operating in India, resulting to seafarers facing poor working conditions onboard and sea time, to unpaid wages and abandonment.

In its latest ‘Training onboard’ newsletter providing health tips for seafarers, ISWAN shared two reasons why going for a short walk around the ship or out on deck after eating a heavy meal could be beneficial to crew members onboard.

ISWAN, in partnership with InterManager, ICS, ICMA and ITF, issued a new booklet, entitled ‘Arrested and Detained Vessels, and Abandoned Seafarers’, providing guidance to welfare organisations dealing with incidents of seafarers being abandoned and vessels being arrested or detained.

15% of deaths at sea are by suicide. The key question to ask when shocking tragedies onboard come to light is this: do they signify social isolation? And, what leads to seafarers’ social isolation? Recent SAFETY4SEA Poll finds that seafarers want their work to be less stressful. Increased workload and the subsequent fatigue were reported the biggest obstacles for social life onboard gathering 38% of our readers’ votes, surpassing other “barriers” like isolation from family (10%), connectivity (19%); bureaucracy (17%) and team bonding (16%).

With the increasing awareness of how important mental health is for seafarers, ISWAN says that more needs to be done to change the culture in shipping. This will create more openness and less stigma about mental health. According to the World Health Organisation, one in four people in the world will be affected by mental or neurological disorders.

ISWAN, partnered with MHG Insurance Brokers to launch a new research on seafarers who work on superyachts to investigate welfare issues specific to the sector, backed up by in-depth interviews and diary studies. The research’s results were announced on December 7, at a seminar held at Inmarsat’s headquarters in London.